To, Shri Tarun Gogoi, Honorable Chief Minister of Assam, Dispur, Guwahati Dated: Guwahati, August 2, 2012
Subject: Implementation of Majithia Wage Board awards in Media Houses Dear Sir, Namaskar. Hope this letter finds you in fine spirit and health. We on behalf of journalists and non-journalists engaged with media houses of Assam would like to draw your attention towards the pathetic condition of media persons in the State. Assam has a history of over 150 years of newspapers, and the tiny State with a population of nearly 30 million (nearly 70% literacy rate), supports over 25 morning dailies with hundreds periodicals and six satellite and many other cable news channels. Both print and electronic media in Assam have created 5,000 direct jobs, and provided indirect employment to 20,000 throughout the State. But they have to perform under a stressful atmosphere with very little security as well. In fact, working in insurgency stricken Assam is becoming increasingly dangerous for journalists. The ongoing insurgency and unrest among the youth of this region -- where a number of armed outfits have been fighting New Delhi for various demands varying from sovereignty to self rule -- has thrown up tremendous challenges for working journalists based in the State. Journalists are subjected to numerous threats from insurgents, from surrendered militants and even from anti-insurgent security personnel. Statistics show that Assam has lost over 20 dedicated editors/ journalists in the last two decades. The victims include Kamala Saikia, Deepak Swargiary, Kundarmal Agarwala, Manik Deuri, Parag Kumar Das, Ratneswar Sarma Shastri, Nurul Haque, Jogesh Uzir, Dineswar Brahma, Girija Das, Monikan Das, Ranbir Roy, Prahlad Gowala, Maslimuddin, Bodosa Narzary, Jagajit Saikia and Anil Majumder besides others. And surprisingly enough, not a single perpetuator has been punished till date. On the other hand, it is ironic that journalists, who often highlight the exploitation faced by workers in other sectors, have to work in an exploitative situation themselves. Media persons are denied even economic benefits recommended by statutory wage boards constituted by the Indian government. Even relevant labour laws are flouted. As most journalists work without proper appointment letters, PF, ESI, Gratuity, Leave etc. Similarly, insurance coverage for media persons continues to be abysmal except there are some individual policy beneficiaries. If the situation for the station based media employees is bad, the condition for outstation correspondents is the worst. The rural based journalists draw no salary, but a vary small lump-sum amount of money from the management. It is very unfortunate that the journalist and non-journalist media persons in Assam are being deprived of the benefits recommended by the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. So we demand for immediate implementation of Majithia Wage Board awards in all newspaper houses in Assam. The beneficiaries should include the full-time rural correspondents also. Accordingly the journalist and non-journalist media persons belonged to television channels should also get the similar benefits. We demand: 1. Immediate implementation of Majithia Wage Board recommendations 2. Ensuring security to all media persons 3. Providing adequate compensations to the victim families of media persons 4. Offering life insurance coverage of minimum Rs 10,00,000 for each media person Hope you will take the matter seriously and initiate for implantation of the statutory wage boards for the benefit of media persons. Thanking you in anticipation, Regards, Saifuddin Ahmed President, Assam Tribune Employees Union Dugdha Ram Kalita Secretary, Assam Tribune Employees Union Keshab Kalita, President, Assam Union of Working Journalists Pulin Kalita, General Secretary, Assam Union of Working Journalists Mukul Kalita, Vice-President, Journalist Union of Assam Bedabrat Lahkar, Secretary, Journalist Union of Assam Hiten Mahanta, Vice-President, Journalists’ Forum Assam Samin Kalita, Vice-President, Assam Press Correspondents’ Union Pankaj Kumar Nath, Secretary, All Assam Journalist Union Nava Thakuria, Zonal Secretary, National Federation of Newspaper Employees Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Treasurer, Electronic Media Forum Assam _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
